NHL commissioner Gary Bettman briefly spoke to the media on Wednesday afternoon in New York City after the league's Board of Governors meeting, and he seemed optimistic about the current labor negotiations with the NHLPA (via Dan Rosen of NHL.com):

Bettman: "We are pleased with the process that is ongoing and out of respect for that process I don't have anything else to say."

Both sides don't want to play too many games because then player injuries could become a real problem, but it's important to both sides that enough games are played to help repair the financial damage that has been done to the league since the lockout went into effect.

If more optimism is generated from Wednesday's negotiations between the league and its players, we may finally begin to see the final stages of the league's third lockout in the last 25 years.